Cutting-block and method of making the same.



i W. R. FORSYTH. CUTTING BL'OCK AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I. 1916. L@ Patented Apr. 17,1917.

WILLIAM R. FORSYTI-I, 0F SWAMIPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS.

CUTTING-BLOCK AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr.. 1'?, 1917.

Application filed August 21, 1916. Serial No. 116,186.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. FoRsY'rH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and- State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cutting-Blocks and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to cutting blocks and more especially to die blocks that are used in die presses.

It has been customary hitherto to make die blocks and other cutting blocks from a plurality of relatively small pieces of wood of rectangular shape, to glue such pieces together, and to reinforce the block by means of clamping irons arranged against the upstanding sides thereof. Such clamping means includes not only the clamping elements that are arranged against the exterior of the block but also clamping bolts extending horizontally through the block and arranged to coact with the external clamping elements. Some die blocks are further reinforced by wooden keys or dowels fitted into the wooden pieces or sections so as to sustain Vthe cutting stresses when the block is in operation. The cost of fitting such wooden pieces together, of fitting the wooden dowels therein, of boring the blocks for clamping bolts, and the oost of the clamping elements constitute the greater part of the cost of the complete blocks, and my present invention obviates the necessity of providing all manner of reinforcing means.

My present invention contemplatesa builtup cutting block of novel construction, and contemplates also a new method of making cutting blocks, both of which phases of the invention are illustrated by the accompanying dra-wings, and are hereinafter described in detail, and set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a portion of the limb or trunk of a tree in its natural condition, as when hewn and sawed to a convenient length for turning 0H the bark.

Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of a Wooden billet that may be turned from a log such as that shown by Fig. 1, the outline of such billet being represented by dotted lines in Fig. l. i

Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of instrumentalities in the act of reducing such billet to thin flexible sheet stock.

Fig. l represents a perspective view of a complete cutting block made in accordance with this invention, two of the layers thereof being partly broken away to illustrate how the grain of the several layers might lie in consequence of reducing the billet to thin sheet stock.

F ig. 5 represents a perspective View of one of the layers of sheet stock such as those included in the block shown by Fig. et.

Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of such block, the bottom surface of which is concaved as if by wear.

The reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

The element 10, illustrated by Fig. l, represents a log in its natural condition, that is, with the bark on. The right-hand end of this element, as shown, is drawn to rep resent the shape imparted to the trunk or limb of a. tree by chopping it with an ax, and the left-hand end is drawn as though the log were sawed transversely of the axis indicated by the broken line m-x. The

grain of the wood, of course, extends parallel to the axis. Assuming that a tree tr-unk or limb of suflicient diameter has been cut into sections of the desired length, such as the section represented by Fig. 1, the next step would be to mount such section in a lathe and turn olf the bark to reduce the section to a cylindrical billet such as that llustrated by Fig. 2 and indicated by reference numeral 11. Such billet might be of any desired length, but I have found a four foot length to be convenient and economical.

The next step is to reduce the billet to thin iiexible sheet stock approximately oneeighth of an inch thick, although the thickness might be slightly greater or less. In order to utilize billets of relatively small diameter up to say two feet, I reduce them to sheet stock by paring them circumferentially. This may be done by rotating the billet about its axis and Vby supporting a paring knife,

such as that indicated at 12 in Fig. 3, in position to act upon the billet. TheV cutting edge of the knife is indicated at 13 and lies parallel. to the axis of the billet. Fig. 3 also includes a table 14; and a plurality of circular saws 15. As the billet is rotated about its axis, the perimeter thereof is pared off by the cutting edge 13 so that the paring 16 assumes the form of a sheet. In order to compensate for the constantly decreasing diameter of the billet, it is necessary to cause rela-tive movement of the knife and billet so that the distance between the axis of the billet and the cutting edge 'of the knife will be consequently diminished. 4I have not shown any mechanism for accomplishing such relative movement, but the necessity and effect thereof will be readily understood regardless of whether the billet is moved toward the knife or vice versa.

As the sheet stock 16 passes over the knife and over the table 11i, it encounters the continuously rotating circular saws 15 and is thereby divided into relatively narrow sheets or strips 17. The spacing of the saws 15 will, of course, depend upon the desired width of the sheets or strips 17.

In consequence of reducing the billet to sheet stock as aforesaid, the ends of the grain lie at the edges 18 of such stock. The sheet stock may then be cut into pieces of the desired length, such for example as the piece represented by Fig. 5 and indicated by reference numeral 19. Any desired number of these pieces may be glued togetherin faceto-faceA relation, as shown by Fig. t, to form a cutting block 20 of the desired width. No planing or other finishing of the glued faces of the me'mbers 19 is required, because the flexibility of the latter enables them to conform to whatever slight irregularities might exist, and to lie in contact with each other throughout substantially their entire surface area. Y

When the members 19 are assembled, they are arranged so that all the grains will extend up and down as indicated in Fig. 4. Thus the long edges of the members 19 afford two opposite cutting surfaces, one of which is indicated at 21 in Fig. 4f, made up of the ends of the grain. Although the stock is cut and arranged to have the fibers of the wood as nearly parallel as may be, such fibers will never be strictly parallel throughout any two contiguous layers because the trunk and limbs of every tree have Va slightly tapering form 'and the fibers therein converge toward the smaller end. Further more, there are always irregularities in the wood, as, for example, where branches adjoin the trunk or other branches. Such irregularities in the grain are indicated as of a wavy character in Figs. 4 and 5. In consequence of the natural relation of the fibers, those of each layer 19 will be just enough out of parallelism with those of the contiguous layer or layers "to give the block' the reinforcement required to sustain the cutting stress. In this respect, the block possesses the well known advantage of the laminated wooden seats commonly used in chairs, but there is this difference: the fibers, according to my invention, are nevertheless so nearly parallel that they all extend up and down, and their ends are at the two opposite working surfaces 21.

As a cutting block is used, its working surface becomes concaved` by wear,and, when the degree of concavity becomes excessive, it is customary to invert the block and use the opposite surface beforeV having the block re-surfaced. Thus the concaved surface lies at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 6, and does not touch its bed or other support, indicated conventionally by broken line 22, excepting at or near the ends of the block. This condition, more than any other, is the one that has required the reinforcing means for cutting blocks as hitherto constructed, for, in built-up cutting blocks prior to this invention, the glued surfaces of the sections have been vertical but at right angles to the length of the block. When the bottom surface of my present block is concaved as shown by Fig. 5, the glued joints are not called upon to sustain the cutting stresses, as there is no tendency, on theV part of the layers 19, to separate in consequence of such stresses. The stresses are sustained by the fibers in their natural united relation, and, while the stress would tend to buckle the block transversely midway between its ends, and thus split the wood from top to bottom, such splitting is prevented by the additional strength given by the slight crossing of the fibers at the glued joints.

Although I have described what I consider the most economical and desirable method of reducing the billet to sheet stock, my invention is not limited thereto; A log or billet of sufficient diameter' could be pared transversely in planes parallel to the axis thereof, and the sheet stock so produced would be usable as I have explained, although the blocks it would Vmake would not be so large unless the layers were pieced.

I claim:

1. The hereindescribed method of making a cutting-block, comprising the following steps of paring a wooden billet circumferentially to produce thin flexible sheet-stock having the ends of the grain at opposite edges thereof, and glu-ing together, in faceto-face relation, a plurality of layers of such stock arranged with the grain of all such layers substantially parallel.

2. rIhe hereindescr-ibed method vof making a cutting-block, "comprising the following steps of reducing a Wooden billet to thin rality of layers of thin sheet-Wood arranged flexible sheet-stock having the ends of the to stand on edge, said layers being glued to 10 grain at opposite edges thereof, and gluing each other, and the grain or fibers thereof together, in face-to-face relation, a plurality extending from top to bottom, substantially 5 of layers of such stock arranged with the as described.

grain of all such layers substantially par- In testimony whereof I have aHiXed my allel. signature.

3. A cutting-bloek consisting of a plu- WILLIAM R. FORSYTI-I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

